Umbrella runner notch guard



Nov. 1, 1955 P. s. SOBOTKA 2,722,228

UMBRELLA RUNNER NOTCH GUARD Filed July 13, 1953 llllllmllll FIG.3.

INVENTOR. PHILIP S. SOBOTKA FIC.5. BY fim ATTORNEY United States Patent '0 UMBRELLA RUNNER NOICH GUARD PhilipS.-Sobotka,'Baltimore, Md.

ApplicationJulylll, .1953, SerialNo. 367 ,432

3 Claims. (Cl. 135- 28) This invention relates to umbrellas and more particularly to guards employed adjacent the lower notch on the runner where the ribs attach.

The conventional construction used are rosettes sewed on the runner notch of an umbrella, to protect the hand of the user while opening and closing the latter. This construction consists of a cloth disc of light material. This disc has a central hole through which the shank and runner can pass but not the lower or runner notch. At the lower or runner notch, the rosette is placed and made to cover it. This is accomplished by running a thread through the material near the periphery. The disc is sewn in a basting threading fashion with the ends extending out far enough to permit the disc to be drawn into the form of an inverted cap. When so drawn up the cap covers the lower notch and is basted thereto and prevents injury to the operator by the notch and sharp edges of the ends of the rib braces. In the manufacture of an umbrella the use of this rosette involves considerable time, expert manipulation, and only moderate protection. In this invention, this type of cloth rosette is dispensed with, and in its place, a resilient washer or guard is used in the place of it. This washer type of guard requires little time or effort in its assembly. It simply requires the slipping of the washer type of guard over the umbrella shank and its runner, until it presses against the lower notch of the runner. After it is so placed, it is left there, where its natural resiliency will retain it securely against the notch and conceal it while effectively serving as a safeguard.

The invention includes in its objects the provision of a new and improved notch guard for an umbrella that will avoid one or more of the disadvantages and limitations of the prior art.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved notch guard for an umbrella that will serve as a protecting cushion against injury to the hand of an individual opening or closing the umbrella.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved notch guard for an umbrella that will avoid the need for threading and sewing and the use of fabric in its construction;

Still another object of the invention is to provide a type of notch guard for an umbrella that can be made under production methods at very low cost, comparatively, and which may be attached in a minimum amount of time and little effort.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as it is more fully outlined.

For a clearer understanding of the invention and the objects thereof reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which indicate a preferred form of the invention. The drawings in conjunction with the following description outline its details and the manner of its assembly and use, while the claims emphasize the scope of the invention.

.2 .In .the drawings: .Figure ,..1 :shows .a ,runnernotch guard assembled .on

an umbrella structure,..and-. embOdYiflgthis t-invention;

Figure 2 is .a ,plan .view ,of the .runner ..notch guard;

Figure 3 is a-sideelevation.ofcFiguregz;

Figure-4 is a.,sectional elevation..on.line .4.4-of Figure .1; and

Figure 5 is a modified,form.of,elasticv rosette.

.Similar reference.characters pertaiu to the .sameparts throughoutv the drawings.

In the construction -.show.n imEigurel, .a .typical'nmbrella shank 10, runner-11, runner and top notches 12 and 13 respectively, with ribs 14 and rib braces 15 are indicated. The ribs 14 are sewed to the cover 16, in the customary manner. The runner notch 12 is mounted on the upper end of the runner 11 and is integral with it. The rib braces 15 hinge and extend out radially from the notch 12 and pivotally fasten to approximately the middle of the ribs 14. They serve to lower or raise the latter with the cover 16 on it. Against the runner notch 12 and around the cylindrical runner 11 is placed an elastic runner notch guard 20. The guard 20 is resiliently held on the runner and retains its position against the notch 12. This is accomplished by making the central hole 17 in the guard a little smaller than the diameter of the runner, so it will bind resiliently thereon when stretched during its assembly on the latter. The material of which the guard is made is preferably rubber, neoprene, or other suitable plastic having elastic qualities. Its color can be varied to suit or match the other portions of the umbrella. It should be noted that the pushing of the guard up against the notch 12 bends and spreads it out as indicated in the section in Figure 4.

In the modified form of guard shown in Figure 5 the upper portion 18 is bulged to cover a larger area than its cylindrical body 19, while its lower edge has a circular rib 21 around it. This rib 21 provides great facility in manipulating the guard during placement or removal.

The guard embodying this invention is designed for production manufacture, as it has a form and contour that renders it convenient for stamping or molding. It can be located in position or removed therefrom quickly and readily, without requiring tools or other additional items to do so. It is waterproof. The opening of the umbrella, requiring pressure of the hand against the runner notch 12 to raise the runner, can be done without injury to the hand of the operator, since he makes contact with the guard which is a resilient member forming a type of cushion. Its strength and wearing qualities far exceed those of the fabric rosettes and there is no need of sewing and adjusting as required by the latter. The appearance of the elastic guard is considerably more attractive than that of a fabric rosette, and the cost of manufacture and assembly considerably less. The manufacturing cost is minimized by reason of the facility of producing the guard in large quantities by machine, as against the usual method of hand cutting and sewing for each individual unit as required in the fabric rosette. The labor cost for the latter is relatively enormous, while those of the elastic type are almost insignificant singly. Further the forms and design possible in the use of the guard construction are multitudinous and attractive.

While but two general forms of the invention are shown in the drawings and described in the specification, it is not desired to limit this application for patent to these particular forms as it is appreciated that other forms could be made that would use the same principles and come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed 1s:

1. The combination with the runner sleeve of an umbrella, said runner sleeve carrying at its upper end a circularly-flanged member to which the rib-braces are secured, of a cylindrical, hollow, elastic guard, fittable upon the runner sleeve and having an internal diameter normally smaller than the outer diameter of the runner sleeve, when unstretched, but being stretchable to fit upon the runner and remain so placed due to its elasticity, said guard normally resting beneath and against the aforesaid flanged member, whereby the umbrella may be opened and closed by the handling of the guard.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1, wherein the outer diameter of the guard is smaller than the diameter of the flanged member, whereby when the guard is forced against the said member to open the umbrella, the upper end of the guard spreads out while remaining within the opposite ends of the flanged member.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1, wherein the upper end of the guard is provided with a bulging portion to increase its contact area with the flanged member and the lower end of the guard is also provided with a bulging portion to facilitate handling of the guard.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 114,828 Knapp May 16, 1871 960,038 Peck May 31, 1910 2,635,616 Haydu Apr. 21, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 11,261 Austria Mar. 26, 1903 

